Closure plate and valve assembly for shock absorbers



Patented Aug. 15, 1950 CEOSUREPLATEYAND vALvE ASSEMBLY FORSHOCK ABS'ORBERS- WilliamH.:KiebemDetroit, Michg' assignor-to The .1 Gabriel Gompanm; .Gleyeland, Qhio, a: corpora:

Application '0ctolier18, 194'5', Se1' i'a;l N 623089 2. Glaims, Cl. 251F144) 1 This invention relates ft'o 1 a closure fplate and valve assembly for a shock absorber and particu larl'y for-a fluid shock absorber. V

Although the invention is applicable to various types of fluid shockabsorbersjsit.isillustratecl and-e xplained herein by way ofexample-as em ,bo'clied ina direct double actingchydraulic shock absorber;

An object-of the invention is to providev-in a fluid-shock absorber an im-provedliand; novel valve 2 means -for controlling theiidisplacement of the fluid from the cylinder during the impact or' com pression stroke of the piston;

Another object of the invention is .tolprovide a valve means which is so constructed that it can l be readily mounted in or removed; from theopeninghwhichiit controls.

A further object is to,.provideain'a fiuid==shock absorber of the. type having 'a working cylinder closed at one end :by'a closure member or plate, 1

improved. and novel valve means for controlling .theipassage of fluid. through said opening .in. one direction and whichvalve means can be: readily andvquickly assembled in. the opening fromnthe exterior of the: cylinder, wherefore in the'case of a: hydraulic shockabsorber and in the assembly ofsrthel shock absorber the? cylinder can be: filled through-the opening-with liquid, such as oil, be:- fore the: valve is'mounted' thereinandzthen the valve-canine operativelyassembled in theopening of-zthe' closureiplate or member and thus the; valve assembly has thev dual function of. acting assa filler plug.

A still: further objectofthe inventionis to provide: an; improved combination. of impact valve and recoil valve for controllingthef displacement of 'the'fluidfrom the cylinderof a shockabsorber during the impact stroke of the piston andi for controlling. the. return of, the fluid into the cylinder during the movement of the piston; in the Fig.4 l is a fra-gmentary secti'onal Vi'ew :tal zen a1bng 1ine 4'4 of Fig; Zlooking in the direction ofithe arrows.

The shockabsorberillustrated:comprises a sub stantially cylindrical'casing 1 0 which hasnrelative telescoping movement within a cylindrical housing l'l that is spaced radially outwardly from the casing I U. The upper end of the housi ng 1 his closed by an inverted cup-shapedgclosure orcap member llZ' providedwon" its outer side with an eye I3v with which thespistonl rod M is integral, or is operatively connectedithereto, as willb'e well understood: and asrisiclearly shown in'Beecher Patent No 2,369 ,007; February 6, I945.

The lower end .of the casing" I0 is closed-by a cup-shaped closurexmember l5v .whichfha's see cured to its-outer side a lower eye: The closure members Is2 and ':|.5..8Xtlldll'lt0 theaihousing H; and thezc'asing In, respectively; and-are secured theretosby welding or by other suitable means;

I-n. mounting the shock absorber upon a. motor vehiclersimilar mounting pi-nsr or trunnion rods .(not'shown) may be connected, respectively, to the frame and axle of the vehicle in an suitable manner so as toextend outwardly therefrom in parallel relationship and' pass through the eyes lai -and l6. These pins or"=rods may be operatively connected with the eyes 13- and-IG-by suitable: means well known-in the-art, whereforerelative movement betweenthe'frame-andaxle of the vehicle willcause relative telescoping movement between the casing Ill and the housing 1 I and relati've movement of the'pistonin the pressure or working cylinder as will be well understood e The pressure or working cylinder I! i of the shock-absorber is disposed-within the casing 10 in spaced concentrierelat'ionship therewith 'so that the space defined by the casing 11], cylinder l1; closure member [55 and theolosure member for the upper end of the casing and cylinder (not shown herein but. clearly illustrated in said Beecher Patent 2,369,007)" constitutes a. reservoir t8 for the oil or liquid in the shock absorber;

The lower end' of the cylinder l'l extends into the cup-sha'pedclosure member I 5"and is secured thereto by suitable means understood! in the art. The cylinder ll slightly upwardly of the lower end has secured. therein'a closure plate 1'9 and the cylinder below said closure'plate is provided with an inwardly extending bead, 20 which. serves to ,retain the closure plate 'in position while the cup-shaped closure member l5fis providedwith a. plurality, of. circumferentially' spaced internal grooves or channels 2]"which place the reservoir l8 'in communication with the space betweenthe 3 closure plate l9 and the bottom of the cup-shaped closure member l5. 7

The piston rod l4 carries at its inner end a piston designated generally by the numeral 22 and said piston may be of any suitable construction and provided with any desired valve means. The piston :22 shown herein forpurposes of illustration corresponds to'the piston shown in said Beecher Patent 2,369,007 and is provided with means allowing for a relatively free flow of fluid. from one side of the piston to the other during the movement of the piston toward the closure plate l9 and for a more restricted flow from one side of the piston totheother; during its movement in the oppositefidirection, 'i." e., toward the upper end of the cylinder I! as viewed in the drawing. The movement of the piston 22 toward the closure plate I9 is referred to herein as the impact or compression stroke since this is the movement that occurs [when the vehicle springs; are compressed upon impact with an obsti uction or irregularity in the surface iotthe roadway. The movement of the piston: in the opposite direction, i; e.','towards; the upper end of the; cylinder, is-;reierred to herein as the: recoil stroke since th'Ls:is the-, 1movement thatj'occurs when the vehicle springs recoil or expand following their-compression. The closure plate [9 is provided with an opening that is controlled by an, impact valve nowto be described. The ;opening' just referred toiin the: closure plate IE isindicated sit-23 and is so shaped as to have arcuate ends on its major "or maximumi diameter interconnected by diamet rically opposed fiat sides 2t defining its minor or minimum diameter: 'T-hQfClOS'llTG plate if? on "its inner side within the cylinderiand midway or the flat sides 24 of the opening isprovided' with dia metrically aligned recesses 25. The impact valve assembly which controls the passage of fluid through the opening 23comprises a valve pin125 of a dia'imeter slightly less than said minimum diameter of the opening, wherefore it has aslight clearance with respect to the fiat sides 24' of the prpening and a-snbstantial'clearance with respect to-the arcuate ends or portions oi'theopening.

The valve pin 26 has-fixed to one end a suitable spring retaining washer 2'? which forms an abutmer t-for one end of a coil valve spring 25, the

p posite end of which spring engages a valve p1ate'29 that is slidable on the valve pin 25. The

end of the valve pin 26 opposite to the end carrying the retainer washer 2'; is provided with radially projecting diametrically aligned lugs .39,

the outer ends of which are of arcuate configuthe arcuate portions of the opening 23 provide ample passageways for the flow of fluid through the opening from the interior of the cylinder to the outer side of the closure plate l9 and that the valve plate 29 controls these passageways and acts when seated to seal the opening against the passage of fluid therethrough in the direction referred to.- v

The closure plate I9 is provided with a second opening therethrough and said second opening hasa cylindrical portion 3| and a tapered or conicalportion 32; The passage of fluid through this second opening'is controlled by a recoil or replenishing'valve comprising a conical head 33 mounted on a stud or pin 34'. The head 33 when the replenishing valve is seated engages the conical portion 32 of this second opening and acts to ration, with the distance between said endsbeing slightly less than the maximum diameter of the opening 23.

It will be seen, therefore, that the imrpactvalve assembl can be mounted in position in the opening from the outer side of the closure plate by passing the pin 26 through the opening with the lugs 36 located in the major diameter of the opening and then when said lugs are within the cylinder giving the pin a 90? turn to bring the lugs into registry with the recesses25 located at the diametricallyopposite sides of the opening. In passing the pin through the opening thevalve plate 29 engages the outer side of the closure plate i9 and as soonas the lugs 38 arein registry with the recesses 25 the spring 26reacting against the valve plate 29 and the retainer washer 21 engages said lugs in said recesses and lmaintains the same therein. 'It ,will also be noted seal said opening] This replenishing valve is held seated by means of a tapered coil spring 35 surrounding the pin or stud 35 and having its larger endengaging in 1 a" recess *iormed in the closure plate I9 concentric toithe secondiopen-ing and its smaller endengaging a' flared portion of thepin or stud3 i; It will be noted that the stud 3& doesnot require a: positive guideduring the valve opening and closing movements since the conical valve spring 35 and the conical valve head 33 together with the conical portion "32; of the opening act to makethe valve selfscentering and self-seating: Itwill also be noted that-due to the conical configuration of the valve seat and the-valvehead a slightunseating of the; head 33 provides a relatively large flow area and also that said flow area is proportionately large for the size of the'valve. 1

In assembling the shock absorber embodying the construction just described, the closureplate 19 )with the replenishing valve .33 positionedin its opening is" secured in the cylinder I? and said cylinder with. the piston rod 14 and piston 22 ex.- tending into it is assembled in the casing '10 and housing ll. 'However, at this time the closure member I5 is not yet assembled in position. The cylinder I! is filledwith the desired amount of liquid, such as oil; through the opening 23in the closure plate is "and then the impact valve as sembly'is mounted in said opening by passing the valvepin 26 therethrough and then turning the pin to efiect the engagement of the lugs 30 inthe recesses 25, as has been previously explainedl Hence it will be seen that the impact valve assembly performs the dual function of a filler plug and an impact valve. After the cylinder I? has been filled with liquid the closure member [5 is mounted in assembled position.

lit will be noted that once the impact valve "assembly is mounted in position in the closure plate I9 the lu'gsibil are held in the recess-es 25 by the valve spring 28 and hence the valve pin 26 is maintained against turning or rotative movement and thus remains in properly assembled position in the opening 23 throughout the use of the shock absorber.

It will b-e'understood that during the operation of the shock absorber and when the piston 22 moves toward the closure plate !9 on the impact stroke of thepiston, the replenishing valve 33 remains seated and noliciuid or fluid can pass out of the cylinder ll until a pressure is developed sufiicient to move the valve plate 29 of the impact valve away from the closure plate l9 against the action of the spring 25 to allow the fluid to flow through the opening 23 around the valvepin '26 to. the.outer side of the closure plate I9 and .the'speces between the J Valve pin 25 and 7;, thencethrough the passages 2| into the reservoir 5 [8. It will also be understood that on the recoil stroke of the piston 22, i. e., the movement thereof toward the closure member I2, the valve plate 29 of the impact valve assembly remains seated against the closure plate I9 and hence no fluid flows through the opening 23 into the cylinder I'l. However, during this recoil stroke the replenishing valve 33 moves against the action of its valve spring 35 to uns-eated position and the fiuid is free to flow through the replenishing valve opening and into the cylinder l I behind the piston 22 and thus to replenish the fluid which has been displaced from the cylinder during the impact or compression stroke. Due to the valve arrangement carried by the closure plate lg improved shock absorbing characteristics are obtained and the impact valve assembly contributes to the desired shock absorbing action on the impact or compression stroke and also allows the fiuid displaced by the piston rod l4 during said impact stroke to pass from the cylinder into the reservoir.

Although a preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described herein it will be understood that the invention is susceptible of various modifications and adaptations Within the scope of the appended claims.

'Having thus described my invention, I claim: 1. A closure plate and valve assembly adapted to be mounted in one end of the cylinder of a fluid shock absorber and comprising a closure plate having an opening, a valve pin inserted through the opening and provided on an end thereof with laterally extending lugs, said plate being provided on one side thereof adjacent said opening with recesses adapted to receive said lugs, said opening having portions through which said lugs can be passed and which provide flow passages between the pin and the wall defining said opening, a valve movable on said pin adjacent the other side of said plate, and a spring carried by said in and acting to normally seat said valve against said other side of said plate and close said opening and also acting to maintain said lugs engaged in said recesses, wherefore said valve assembly is held in position in said opening.

2. A closure plate and valve assembly as defined in claim 1 and wherein the lugs on said pin are diametrically aligned and extend radially outwardly from the pin, and said opening has a maximum diameter slightly greater than the distance between the outer ends of said lugs and a minimum diameter slightly greater than the diameter of said pin, said recesses being located adjacent the minimum diameter of said opening wherefore said pin is inserted through the opening with said lugs located in the maximum diameter thereof and is then turned to register said lugs with said recesses.

WILLIAM H. KIEBER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 717,365 Ehrhardt Dec. 30, 1902 1,871,969 Elsey Aug. 16, 1932 1,990,516 Beckel Feb. 12, 1935 2,087,451 Rossman et a1. July 20, 1937 2,379,750 Rossman July 3, 1945 2,396,227 Beecher Mar. 12, 1946 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 203,299 Switzerland Feb. 28. 1938 

